Fastening device for container covers



June 15, 1954 1555 2,681,243

FASTENING DEVICE FOR CONTAINER CO ERS Filed llay 26, 1952 III'IIIIIIIIII BY V A rrQQA/EX Patented June 15, 1954 FASTENING DEVICE FOR CONTAINER COVERS August H. Riess, Lawndale, Calif. Application May 26, 1852, Serial No. 290,019

, 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to containers, and particularly to a mechanism for securing a cover to the container.

The covers of conventional receptacles for the collection and removal of waste products are ordinarily easily removable. Animals may often interfere with the orderly and sanitary collection of waste material bysimply overturning the can, and thereby undesirably removing the cover and the contents.

It is an object of this invention to overcome these problems by providing a simple and reliable mechanism for insuring against accidental removal of the cover, or against disturbance by animals.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved releasable latch for a cover of a container.

It is another object of this invention to provide a latch mechanism cooperable with the rim of a conventional receptacle, and having its operating parts mounted only upon the cover. Specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a cover having an improved latch that is standardized for cooperation with a container without providing any additional mechanism for the container proper.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved latch mechanism of this character that is of extremely simple oonstruction, readily assembled, and of economical manufacture.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of vention, the phantom lines illustrating another adjusted position of the mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken along the plane indicated by the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is fragmentary sectional View, taken along the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

A customary container I9 is illustrated in Fig. 1 that is provided with the usual pivotally mounted bail II. A cover [2, provided with the usual annular flange I1, is shown most clearly in Fig. 5, telescopes over the end of the container l0, thereby closing it.

Containers of this general character which are utilized for the disposal of food waste, cans, bottles, or other refuse, are customarily provided with an annular beaded edge extending about the opening of the container. Such a head I 3 is illustrated in Fig. 5 and extends outwardly of the body of the container 10.

The present construction utilizes this bead it as one of the parts of a latch construction, preventing accidental removal of the cover it. Thus, as illustrated in Fig. 5, a latch member it has a detent [5 formed at the end thereof and passing through an aperture it in the annular flange I! of the cover l2. Two similar latching members M are provided for the cover :12 at diametrically opposite portions of the cover. The detents l5 are movable toward and from each other. Thus, the distance between the detents diametrically across the cover can selectively be made less or greater than the maxi mum diameter of the bead i3. Accordingly, the detents l5 cooperate with the bead 3 for preventing removal of the cover I2.

Each of the latching members l 4 may be com veniently formed by bending a rod substantially in hooked shape for conforming to the configuration of the cover l2 and the flange i7. Each rod I4 extends along the upper side of the cover and terminates slightly past the center thereof. They are shiftable radially outwardly and inwardly for their latching function.

For this purpose, a crank member IS, of substantially disc form, is provided for moving the This crank member if! is pivotally mounted centrally of the cover l 2 by any appropriate means, such as pins, bolts or the like. In the present instance, a nut and bolt construction is and 20 passes through the crank it and cover l2, respectively. A washer 2|, of a substantial thickness, spaces the crank member l8 above the cover l2. The inner ends 23 of the rods it extend through appropriate apertures 2 3 at diametrically opposite portions of the crank i 8. The apertures 24 eccentrically mount the rods I 4,

whereby there is provided longitudinal or radial component of movement therefor. The ends of the rods l'may be upset to prevent removal from the crank l8, and they are accommodated within the space between the crank l8 and the cover 52, as defined by the washer 2 l.

Rotational movement of the crank l8, facilitated by the aid of a bent-out thumb piece 22, thus serves to move the rods l4 radially outwardly or inwardly of the cover [2. Such movement positions the detents l5 radially outwardly or in wardly with respect to the flange ll of the cover l2, for preventing or permitting removal of the cover from the can proper Ill.

The rods 14, as illustrated in Fig. 2,, are of a length, such that they would ordinarily be continuously reciprocable upon continued rotational movement of the crank I8. However, provisions are made for confining the rods for movement only through a portion of such complete cycle.

Thus, the detents are upset, as at 28,thereby limiting outward movement of the rods, corre sponding to the phantom line position illustrated in Fig. 3. Furthermore, movement of the rods to position the detents l5 inwardly of the flange i'i isalso limited. Thus, the rods 15 are so oriented that edges of a customary handle 2'1 are interposed in the path of movement of the rods i l, thereby limiting clockwise movement of the rodsfrom tho-phantom line position. The edges 2E will be most efiective for this purpose if the rods M at the instant of contact therewith have substantially maximum arcuate components of movement about their mounting on the cover flange ll. To insure such maximum arcuate movement, the rods I l have bends 28a whereby the apertures '24 are then at substantially the maximum distance from the respective apertures it of the flange l1.

When the rods 14 arepositioned in the clockwisernost position, corresponding to latching relation, of the crank maintaining the parts in such position, and thereby preventing accidental opposite movement. For this purpose, yieldable restraints or projections in the form of dimples 25, extending upwardly of the crank l8, engage on thatside of the rods I4 opposite the edges 26. This produces a slight bowing of the rods Hi, as they move between latching and unlatching position over these dimples or projections 25. The crank it, therefore, must be intentionally manipulated to overcome the resilient restraint imposed upon the rods by the dimples 25 against the edges 26 of handle 2'! in moving the members out of the full line position. The edges 26 and dimples 25, therefore, cooperate to determine a locked position of the latching members.

The entire construction is such that it may easily be installed on a conventional cover construction. Thus, appropriate apertures for the detents i5 and the pivotal mounting for the crank i8 need be provided in the cover. Of these, the aperture for the pivotal mounting is usually present in conventional trash cans. The nut and bolt construction i9, 20, which serves as a pivotal mounting, is the only positive connection for the 1atching structure.

The inventor claims:

1. In a latch mechanism: a cover having an annular flange; a pair of latchin members, each having a detent passing through said flange at substantially diametrically opposite portions of I8, provisions are made for said flange, said detents extending inwardly of said cover; a crank pivotally mountedon said cover; means pivotally securing the other ends of said latching members eccentrically of said crank for movement of said detents with respect to said cover in accordance with the angular positioning of said crank; abutment means carried by the cover and engageable with said latching members for determining a limiting angular position of said crank corresponding to inward positioning of said detents; and a pair of restraint members carried by said crank, said restraint members being normally in the paths of angular movement respectively of said latching members upon movement of said latching members from a position corresponding to the inward position of the detents, one of the pairs of members being yieldable to permit movement of said latching members over said restraint members upon the application of a turning torque on said crank.

'2. In a latch mechanism: a cover having an annular flange and a handle immovably secured to said cover; a pair of latching members, each having a detent passing through said fiange at substantially diametrically opposite portions of said flange, said detents extending inwardlyof said cover; a crank pivotally mounted on said cover; means pivotally securing the other ends of said latching members eccentrically of said crank for movement of said detents with respect to'sai-d cover in accordance with the angular positioning of said crank; said latching 'members being 'so' located that said handle engages said latching members for limiting movement of said latching members when said detents are positioned inwardly; and yieldable restraints carried 'by'said crank and engageable with said latching members for releasably maintaining said latching members against said handle.

3. In a latch mechanism: a cover having an annular flange and a handle having ends immovably secured to said cover at places spaced from the center of said cover; a pair of substantially symmetrically disposed latching'members, each having detents passing through said flange at places on said flange substantially radially aligned with said ends of said'handle, respectively; a crank centrally pivotally'mounted on said cover; means pivotally securing the other ends of said latching members to said crank for movement of said detents inwardly and outwardly of said flange; said ends of handle en,- ga-ging said latchin members, respectively, for determining a limiting inward movement of said detents; and a pair of projection members with respect to which said latching members are relatively movable, one pair of members being yieldable, said projection members being engageable with said latching members respectively for releasably maintainin said latching members in said limiting position.

Referenc s Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

